lion (1997)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 4.5% (1997)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Dominica
--------

Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to
Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates: 15 25 N, 61 20 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 750 sq km
land: 750 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly more than four times the size of
Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 148 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy
rainfall

Terrain: rugged mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m

Natural resources: timber

Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 67%
other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: flash floods are a constant threat; destructive
hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months

Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People

Population: 64,881 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 8,680; female 8,530)
15-64 years: 64% (male 21,090; female 20,294)
65 years and over: 9% (male 2,570; female 3,717) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.41% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 16.92 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.35 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -24.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.01 years
male: 75.15 years
fe